Tank & Filter

Detailed steps to cycle your tank. We cover the 'old' method and today's fishless cycling with plants.

As plants do not move (unlike animals), they depend on flow to bring air and nutrients to them. Good flow is hugely impactful, yet challengingly 'invisible'. 

This is what I consider the current best filter for planted tanks.

The german brand Oase makes solid filters. We love their Biomaster series (BioMaster Thermo 250/300/600) and here we dissect the Biomaster 300.

Many filters look great on the outside, and look really cool. But poor flow/out contributes to algae issues in a tank, and we would avoid these 2 types...

How big a tank should I go for? If this is your first tank, smaller is not necessarily limiting. Here are some examples of great 'small' or nano planted tanks ranging from 7 gallons to 10 gallons.

What to look for when buying a filter? Look beyond the marketing hype to evaluate these critical features...

What do water polishers do? Do they inadvertently remove beneficial nutrients?

Sponges or ceramic media - which one comes first? This article explores layering principles for filter media.

This page explores the main differences between ceramic media and sponge filter media, and pros and cons of each.

Do starter bacteria culture actually work?

It is possible to run a planted tank without a filter. However lets look at why using a filter is generally still recommended in a fully functional planted tank.